The beginning of last week was taken up by storm prep followed by storm recovery. On Monday and Tuesday we tried to harvest enough to get us through Wednesday, as we anticipated that Wednesday morning we would be busy with post-storm clean-up. We also took down the CSA tent Tuesday afternoon and tucked it away safely inside, along with the CSA and wash area tables, handwashing sinks, harvest buckets and seedling trays. Normally this time of year we leave the sides of our greenhouse and high tunnels rolled up, but we closed all of them and secured with “wiggle wire,” a wire we put inside tracking to hold down the plastic. Wednesday morning we immediately set to work putting the tent back up (which we’ve gotten much more efficient at now, but it was complicated by some frayed and broken ropes!) and moving everything we had put inside the night before back outside! The rest of the day the field crew was occupied with repairing over 600 feet of cherry tomato and field tomato trellising that had fallen over. We are all a bit sore from taking turns pounding in new posts and lifting up hundreds of pounds of fallen plants, but fortunately our crew is not only very tough, they have a great sense of humor and we were able to laugh together throughout!
Though we would have rather not had all this additional work this past week, we are grateful this didn’t happen any later in the season, as soon we won’t have enough crew members to pull off such a fast and efficient repair! Last week we said goodbye to Rachael. This week we also bid farewell to Jess, Dave, Annemarie, Emma, Molly and Elise as they return to school and regular jobs. We are so grateful for all their hard work, as well as their positivity and good humor!
Though the early part of the week felt a bit like “Groundhog Day”, the rest of the week we made up for it with lots of weeding, cultivating, seeding and field prep for cover crops to go in soon. We also started harvest of our fall storage crops. Shallots and half of our yellow onions are now curing in our smallest high tunnel, and on Saturday we harvested and brought in 3 bulk bins of spaghetti squash to finish curing in the barn. There’s still a little more out in the field to collect this week, and then we’ll move on to red onions and pie pumpkins!
In the CSA this week:
Heirloom tomatoes - we’ll have mostly Pruden’s Purple (actually a pink tomato), but you may also see some Striped German, Pineapple, Cherokee Purple and Carbon in the mix!
Slicing tomatoes - red, orange and pink slicers are all coming in now!
Colored sweet peppers - mostly Carmen (sweet red Italian type), but there will also be a few red, yellow and orange bells from the high tunnel and field in the mix!
Peppers - green and purple.
Eggplant - we are now harvesting 3 types of eggplant: Asian eggplant, Italian eggplant and Beatrice (a bright violet colored Italian eggplant)
Cucumbers
Garlic
Watermelon
Zucchini
Summer Squash
Swiss chard
Arugula - not only great in salads, but makes delicious pesto, either mixed in with basil or on its’ own. (See the pesto squash noodle recipe below)
Mizuna
Lettuce - We will have a mix of summer crisp varieties.
CSA PYO:
Please bring scissors from home for your herb picking. We do have some you may borrow but quantities are limited each day due to necessary sanitizing measures.
Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, parsley
Edamame - steam these, then shell them once they have cooled and sprinkle with a little salt for a delicious protein-filled snack! We will be harvesting by the plant so pull the entire plant out of the ground, then remove each soybean pod.
Cherry tomatoes - All varieties are now available: Sungold (orange), Cherry bomb (red), Jasper (red), Red Pearl (red grape), Mountain Magic (red), Yellow mini (yellow), Sunpeach (pink), Black cherry (deep brownish purple), Supernova (red with yellow flecks), Moonbeam (pale yellow), mightnight pear (brownish purple). Look low on plants for the ripe fruit.
Hot peppers - jalapeño, Fresno, Aji Rico and Hungarian hot wax
Shishito peppers - these peppers are fairly mild, but every so often you will get a hot one! We are trying them out this year for the first time, so if you like them let us know - we may grow more next year! See below for a very simple recipe.
Pick-your-own Flower CSA
The flower field is at it’s peak so this is a great time to pick! The flower field is open to both flower CSA members as well as for those who would like to purchase PYO flowers by the jar. Picking is open anytime the Farm Store is open: Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. For the safety of everyone, there are capacity limits in the flower field and everyone over the age of 2 must wear a mask in the PYO fields. Flowers available for picking this week include: zinnias, bachelor’s buttons, bells of Ireland, scabiosa, didiscus, cosmos, snapdragons, rudbeckia, dill flowers, decorative basil, strawflower, gomphrena, sweet Annie, amaranth, and verbena. Don’t forget your pruners and scissors from home and water for your jar! Check in at the farm stand before picking.
In the Farm Store:
In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA we will also have scallions and the first honey of the season from Double B Honey (harvested from hives on the property). We’ll also have sweet corn from Verrill Farm, mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm and eggs from Pete and Jen’s Backyard Birds available this week. Online pre-orders continue, but please note that pre-orders are now available for Tuesday, Friday and Saturday pick-ups only. We will not be offering pick-ups on Wednesday and Thursday as we try to improve efficiency and focus on the most popular ordering days. The link for online orders is https://openfoodnetwork.net/barrett-s-mill-farm/shop#/shop. Online ordering opens at 2pm the day before pick-up. Walk-up sales continue to be open for all Tuesday-Saturday.
Farm Store Hours
Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm
Saturday 9am-3pm
Please wear a snug fitting mask with multiple layers when approaching the farm stand. If you cannot wear a mask, simply order online and include a note in your order letting us know what car you will be driving (as well as roughly what time you will arrive) and we will bring your bag out to your car when you arrive. Thank you for your understanding!
Sautéed Shishito Peppers: Summer's Best New Bite
by Deborah Madison, March 2013, Vegetable Literacy
“Here's what you do. Heat a little olive oil in a wide sauté pan until it is good and hot but not smoking. Add the peppers and cook them over medium, tossing and turning them frequently until they blister. They shouldn't char except in places. Don't rush. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to cook a panful of peppers. When they're done, toss them with sea salt and add a squeeze of fresh lemon. Slide the peppers into a bowl and serve them hot. You pick them up by the stem end and eat the whole thing, minus the stem, that is.
You can probably do fancier, cheffy things with them, but they're terrific like this. For variety, I sometimes use a little toasted sesame oil instead of olive oil and finish them with togarashi. If you have leftovers, an unlikely event in my experience, chop off the stems and put the peppers in an omelet or some scrambled eggs.”
Pesto Squash Noodles and Spaghetti with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 30 minutes
Homemade pesto tossed with raw squash noodles and spaghetti, topped with burst cherry tomatoes. This vegetarian recipe is easily made vegan and/or gluten free (see recipe notes). Feel free to substitute 6 to 8 ounces of quality store-bought pesto for a quicker meal. Recipe yields two large servings or four side servings, which would be great served with big green salads!
Ingredients
Pesto:
2 cups packed fresh arugula and/or basil, tough stems removed
½ cup sliced shelled pecans
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Squash noodles and spaghetti:
1 medium zucchini, julienne
1 medium yellow squash, julienne
⅓ pound (a little over 5 ounces) whole grain spaghetti or linguine
Burst tomatoes:
1 pint cherry tomatoes or ¾ pound small tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Dash red pepper flakes
Dash salt
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cut off the tough ends of the squash and remove any discolored skin with a paring knife. Use a julienne peeler (or regular peeler) to slice the squash lengthwise, one side at a time. Stop once you get to the seeded part, then turn the squash to work on the next side.
Toast the pecans: In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the pecans, while stirring frequently, until they’re nice and fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pecans to a bowl to cool.
To make the pesto: In a food processor, combine the arugula/basil, cooled pecans, Parmesan, garlic and salt. Pulse while drizzling in the olive oil. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Before draining, reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot.
Cook the tomatoes: First, slice about 5 of the tomatoes into thin rounds and reserve them for later. In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil and red pepper flakes. Once the oil is shimmering, add the whole cherry tomatoes and a dash of salt. Let the tomatoes cook, stirring occasionally, until they are blistered in spots and starting to pop, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, lightly crushing the tomatoes with the back of a big spoon or silicone spatula, until they are beginning to break down, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the sliced tomatoes.
To assemble the pasta: Combine the pasta and squash noodles in a serving bowl. Add most of the pesto and a couple tablespoons pasta water. Toss to combine, adding more pesto or pasta water until the noodles are sufficiently coated in pesto. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, if desired. Divide the noodles into individual bowls and top with cherry tomatoes. I finished mine with another twist of freshly ground black pepper.